Game-board.



PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

D. STANGER. GAME BOARD.

APPLICATION Hum nov. 11. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

//V VENTOR Arrow/v5 WITNESSES M1 2 ww-w UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,976, dated April 19, 1904. Application filed November 11, 1903. Serial No. 180,693. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, DAVID STANGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Glassboro, in the county of Gloucester, in the State of New Jersey, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Game Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of gameboards comprising a table having an inclined top with projecting pins, ball-receiving pockets, and side alley-ways.

The invention consists in the peculiar arrangement of projecting pins, ball-receiving pockets, and other features shown in the accompanying drawings, all as will hereinafter be fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the subjoined claims.

The special object of my invention is to provide a game-board of such construction and arrangement as to admit of the game of baseball being played thereon and the making of a complete score from the game, such as the record of the outdoor game of ball.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view with one of the levers L broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4: is a plan view of the bottom board, showing the ball-conveying grooves.

In the practice ofmy invention I employ a suitable table A and support it on suitable legs B in an inclined position, as shown by Fig. 2. In the manufacture of my improved game-table the legs B may be rigidly secured thereto or be adapted to fold in any obvious or well-known way.

' Along the edges of my game-board I provide a flange C. Upon the table at its elevated end a curved shoulderD is arranged, for the purpose as will appear farther on.

E indicates sided alley-ways formed by the flanges C and suitable flanges F, which extend from the lower end of the board or table A upwardly thereon'to' near the mark or character Gr, leaving an opening H, as shown in Fig. 1 of my drawings.

I indicates the outline representation of a base-ball diamond, with bases 1, 2, 3, and I,

5 the latter being the home base, as will be understood. At each base a socket J is provided, through which a pin K is made to project in representation of players at the bat and baserunners. I may or may not have a pin K at the home base; but when it is so provided the pin will be supported and adapted for oper-v ation by means substantially the same in construction as the levers, 620., shown for operating the pins at bases 1, 2, and 3. It will be noticed that the pins K are supported by 1evers L, having suitable hinge action on posts M on the under side of the board. The other end of the lever L from its pin end is extended beyond the lower end of the board A, as at N, providing a handle wherebythe lever L may be worked to project its pin K, representing a man on that base, and for retracting the pin, as will be understood. The projecting or handle portion N of the lever L is arranged in-a guide 0, provided with any suitable friction or other means adapted to hold it adjusted down or up, as with the pin K, projecting through its socket J, indicating a man on the base or retracted from indicating position. It will be noticed that the face or upper side of my game-board has a series of projecting pins P and numerous pockets or openings Q therethrough adapted to receive and afford passage-way for a ball projected up the alleyways E should it be caught by the open-top cage-like arrangement of pins R around the several pockets Q. most pockets Q are located in curved order. All other pockets Q, are located on the diamond and in the field, as shown, and all the pockets are marked, indicating well-known plays in the game of base-ball.

Near the lower end of the board I provide an elongated court S, open at its upper end and closed at its lower end. The courts lower end is reduced, forming a trap '1, provided with a contracted entrance U. In the trap portion T of the court S, I arrange a bell V,

which when struck by the ball will be sounded, indicating a home run. In the courts pockets W are located one at opposite sides of the trap-portion entrance and a series of them higher up in the court and ranging from side to side thereof, as shown.

Along the bottom edge of my game-board (See Fig. 1.) The upper I provide a series of connected pockets X, formed by recesses in the bottom edge board, and pins Y, as shown in Fig. 1. The courtpockets W and the pockets X are also marked, indicating plays, as will be understood.

In connection with all the pocket-openings through the board a-peculiar ball-trap a is employed. Each said trap is constructed of an arm 6, havingone end turned upwardly and formed into an open-bottom cup-shaped socket 0. The cup-shaped end 0 is counterbalanced by a suitable weight d on the other end of the arm 6. The said arm has free oscillating support on a suitable hanger depending from the under side of the board, as shown in Fig. 2. In connection with the socket end of the. arm 6 an ejector f is em ployed and the same located dependingly from the under side of the board near the pocketopening therethrough. (See Fig. 2.) The ejector is constructed so to act in having its free end 9 turned or curved upwardly adapted to enter the opening in the ball-socket 0 when that end of the arm is tilted down by weight of the ball, and thereby eject the ball, as indicated by the dotted position of parts shown in Fig. 2. A spaced lower board it is em ployed adapted to catch a ball passing through any one of the pocket-openings and guide it to the lower end of the game-board into a suitable trough 2'. It will be noticed that'the upper side of the board it is provided with a series of grooves Z2, ranging along to and opening into the trough c, as shown in Fig. 4;. It will be further noticed that the grooves are arranged to catch and conduct balls only passing through the pocket-openings indicating the same play.

In further carrying out my invention the trough 2' is divided into a series of compartments m, with one thereof at the delivery end of each groove 70 and adapted to catch and hold the delivered ball. The compartments m are marked correspondingly with the pocket-openings from which the grooves deliver, as will be understood upon reference to Figs. 1 and 4 of my drawings.

In playing agame of base-ball on my gameboard the first player shoots the ball with a hat or cue from the lower end of the alley: way. Should it be projected past the mark Gr, roll down the board and enter a pocket Q marked 1 B, the play is considered as a base on hits. The extended end N of the proper lever L is now pushed down, where'- by the first-base pin K is made to project through its opening J, denoting a' runner or player on first base. A ball entering the pocket marked B B count as a base on balls, moving the base-runners along only when forced. Pockets marked H P indicate as hit by a pitched ball, and count the same as the pockets B B, and so on with all the pockets, as will be understood by persons acquainted with the game of base-ball and the scoring of the'several plays in the game. The pins K when projecting are intended to denote a runner on that base. The working of the pins K to projected or retracted position in the game will be understood.

By means of the ball-traps a the game is made difficult, since their sockets 0 are intended to be of a depth sufficient only to catch and hold a ball when it is rolling slowly down the board; otherwise the pocket end of the trap will effect bridging action, whereby the ball is caused to cross over or jump the pocket-opening and continue rolling down the board.

The elongated court S and the trap T at its lower end render the game as played on my board interesting and more diflicult. Its pocket-openings are marked 2 B and 3 B, indicating well-known plays. Should the projected ball be stopped against a pin and does not go into any pocket, the play is counted as a base on balls and a pin projected at first base or advanced therefrom, as will be understood. A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The hereinbefore-described game-board having suitable support, in combination, side flanges and alley-ways, the latter having openings at their upper ends, a curved shoulder at the upper end of the-board, the representa tion of a base-ball diamond on the board, having bases with socket-openingsthrough the board, an upper series of pocketopenings through the board,'ranging from side to side thereof, numerous similar lower pocket-openings through the board, yielding ball-trapping means in each said pocket-opening, having upper cup-shaped sides adapted to catch the rolling ball and for releasing it upon yielding action thereof, an elongated opentop court near the lower end of the board,a trap at and closing'the lower end of the said court, a bell in the trap-shaped lower end of the court, pockets along the lower end of the board, numerous standing pins on the face of the board, small open-top courts 'around the pocket openings through the board, andmeans on the under side of the board adapted for conveying balls passing through the pocket-opening, to the lower end of the gameboard, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the hereinbeforedescribed game-board, having side alley-ways, the representation of a base-ball diamond, sockets at each base and adjustable pins therein, numerous pocket-openings through the board, standing pins on the face'of the board, an enlarged court at the lower end of the board, small courts around the said pocketopenings, and pockets along the lower end of the board, of yielding traps at each pocketopening through the board, consisting of a tilting arm, weighted at one end, and having its other end turned upwardly and provided With an open-bottom socket, an ejector having its free end adapted to enter the opening in the said soeketed end, of the tilting arm, upon tilting action thereof, the said tilting arm having suitable support, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a game-board havlng side alley-Ways, standing pins, the representation of a base-ball diamond, courts, pockets and sets of pocket-openings indicating certain plays, of a series of separate ball- 

